Our Days These Days

It seems like its been a while since I've blogged last. Probably because things have been pretty slow around here lately. But why not talk about the down times as well as the ups? That's what this blog is for, to get me to document our lives as this little family. So lets get to it!

June is almost done. Psh! How is this summer flying past me so much?? It feels like it hasn't officially started yet. I am trying to get to the pool more often while we have one right outside our apartment door. But with a baby, things are so different! It's either nap time or something in the way. I can't seem to get out and enjoy the sun, but I should try and work on that! I think it would be so good for Graham to enjoy and explore the outdoors too. He is so alll over the place, and wants to put everything in his mouth. I definitely get really paranoid about him playing on the ground when we are not in our apartment. And being outside, I can't control whats on the ground and what he will find! So I feel like I need to watch his every move wherever we go. One of these days he's going to eat a leaf or a bug or something. Haha! Like I said, your life changes when you have a baby!

Steve is going through a slowww phase at work right now. At this point we don't know if we are staying in Dallas or not, because they still haven't got the contract for the bid. We have waited so long to find out and it's getting strung out even longer! Wahh. Steve and the other people in the office are trying to keep busy as best as they can, but really there is just not a whole lot going on. He has been free enough to come home early some days, and hey I'm not complaining about that! 

We have been making big lifestyle changes lately! Like, seriously. We are attacking our student and credit card debt, once and for all baby!! But I am going to write a separate post about that topic, because it would flood this one haha. But all I will say for now is that we are so much happier now than we have ever been before! That should be a good enough teaser, eh? 

I have made some personal changes too! I really want to live a more spiritual lifestyle. I just haven't taken the time to focus on that, and I know that when I do there is a significant difference in my life. Life seems to be put more in perspective. There has been a lot happening in the world lately, and being a sensitive person, it can bring me down sometimes. I know that if I refocus myself and my priorities, those feelings of sadness and hopelessness disappear! I am truly so grateful for that! 

It has been so long since I have ready The Book of Mormon the whole way through. But there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day for me to get through it! So I have come up with a way to fix that :) I downloaded the LDS Library app and I'm listening to the Book of Mormon! I seriously love love love it! It is so perfect, I listen non-stop. Graham probably gets ignored a little more than usual because sometimes I am so invested in listening to the stories! Just kidding. The main thing is that I can multitask. And multitasking is key when it comes to juggling life with your little ones!

Texas is starting to feel like home to us now, and we are getting to know and love the people in our new ward too! Yay for making friends!! We miss our families a lot though, it's so hard sometimes for me. It makes me feel better that we will see them soon, and the fact that Brittany is so close is so comforting too! Haha it's like I can reach out and almost touch them from here, but they are still a little too far away. Poop! 

Okay, one more thing! Steve and I just so happen to love anything that involves a project! Us working on a project together is cute to us. Haha, I'm serious! It's like when you see that couple that's disgustingly adorable when playing basketball with each other. Yeah, that's us! Working with each other is one of the things that brings us closer and helps us loosen up and have fun! Right now we are working on a big project, and we are refinishing a set of tables and chairs! It's a lot of work, but I am excited to see how it will look in the end!! 

Muddy Mississippi

Well holy cow, I did it!

If anyone reading has been thinking about doing this, or something like this, DO IT.  It is so worth the money and even more worth the self empowerment! If this postpartum girl can do it (whose muscles were like, non-exsistant) than you can too!

When we got official word that we were moving down south, I immediately started thinking of a good weekend to drive and see Brittany and D' in Clinton! She had been thinking about signing up for the Warrior Dash with her friends for a while, and we thought it was a great incentive to get us out to Mississippi in April! So we signed up!

How long does it take to get there? 6 hours. Thats it!! They have never lived super close like this, it is such a treat!

We are here!

The night we got in Clinton, the kids were well asleep, and I guess Hudson was very upset that we didn't drive in during the day and that he had to go to bed and wait till morning to see us! Haha!

It was well worth the wait because seeing those kids was so stinkin' cute the next morning! A couple of them tip toed in, whispered about Baby Graham, and then ran out. I woke up, snuck out, and there they were waiting outside the door for us! haha. Those hugs were so sweet! And I couldn't believe how old they had gotten! I love that they are so outgoing and chatty. They are so different, but their personalities are still the same. The two oldest seemed they had matured a lot, and the two little ones just grew up! Case was in copycat mode when it came to feeling comfortable around me. If his older siblings were cool with me being there, then he was too! Haha he actually warmed up to me pretty quick, but that could be because he thought I was Ashley who had just visited them for a week.  I love these kids XOXO

I don't think I have seen any kids be more enthused over Graham. He is their long awaited cousin, and they wouldn't forget that he was coming to see them! Right when all the kids met him they had huge smiles, and they all wanted to play with him. I loved it! He may have been smothered in love a couple times during our stay, but I don't think he minded it too much.

To prepare for the race, I joined Brittany and her friends in their daily morning HITT class at the Y for a couple of days. It's basically hardcore, painful, tough women's cross fit. And they do it every day together! My face was lobster red from the first day of the workout (can you say out of shape?!) One of Britt's friends teaches it, and the rest come with smiles and a lot of silly too. They are all good buddies and it's so cute to see all the camaraderie Brittany has in Clinton. Those are some hilarious women, and they kick butt!

Aw we're cute! 

Now were even cuter! 

Oh man! This was SUCH a blast! We had our epic moments of course. Like Stephanie getting literally stuck in the mud pit. It took three military men to pull her out. Oh and how I lost my shoe countless times but I still managed to find it again. And also Brittany getting dirt in her contacts after going down the slide of death into the water hole. I had to save her by running to the nearest water station that was pretty far back, to get water to clear her eyes.

Haha I can see it again. My dear sister dripping in mud, waiting patiently with her eyes squeezed shut on the side of the course. And me, slowly running through sloppy mud with two tiny dixie cups of water, yelling, "I'm coming to save you Brittany!" That is love guys.

We also can't forget the random loving shoves into the slop, and handfuls of mud to the face! Fun. So fun!

To be honest, this was a whole part of me that I really missed while being postpartum. I felt so fierce and unstoppable! I have always felt like a strong woman, but since going through pregnancy and trying to recover, I was in a place where I couldn't recognize myself. Physically yes, but mostly mentally. How could I have given up on myself so fast! I was reminded that I can do anything and I am totally worth the time and effort! That is what I got out of this run most of all.

The rest of the weekend my family just took it easy, we played, ate ice-cream, and enjoyed each others company!